U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia visited Houston on Friday and offered his thoughts about Christian morality and economic systems.

The 30-minute lecture explored the question: Is capitalism or socialism more conducive to Christian virtue?

His talk was part of the ongoing lecture series arranged by the Lanier Theological Library, which was founded by Houston trial lawyer Mark Lanier.

About 300 people jammed a small chapel on the property to hear the speech while roughly 100 more watched on screens in the library.

"The cardinal sin of capitalism is greed, but the cardinal sin of socialism is power. I'm not sure there's a clear choice between those evils," Scalia said. "While I would not argue that capitalism as an economic system is inherently more Christian than socialism … it does seem to me that capitalism is more dependent on Christianity than socialism is. For in order for capitalism to work - in order for it to produce a good and a stable society - the traditional Christian virtues are essential."

Scalia, who is Catholic, discussed how religious orders once took care of orphans and the elderly, which is now done in large part by "salaried social workers" and financed by tax dollars.

"The governmentalization of charity affects not just the donor but also the recipient. What was once asked as a favor is now demanded as an entitlement," he said. "The transformation of charity into legal entitlement has produced donors without love and recipients without gratitude. ... It's not my place or my purpose to criticize these developments, only to observe that they do not suggest the expanding role of government is good for Christianity."

Nominated in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, Scalia is the court's longest-serving member and part of its conservative wing.

"Just as I believe the left is not necessarily endowed with Christian virtue, so also I believe the right is not necessarily bereft of it," he said, ending the speech by saying: "Raising the minimum wage for example, which is a perennial political proposal in Washington, is a good or a bad idea depending on whether it's likely to produce good or bad economic consequences. It has nothing to do with the kingdom of God."

While the talk received muted reactions from the audience, the question-and-answer period was punctuated by laughs and applause.

The second part of the program began with Lanier clutching a microphone and a fistful of index cards with audience inquiries about the law as well as more lighthearted topics.

"He's got to be careful how he answers some of these questions," the lawyer said, before sputtering through a reconsideration that drew laughs. "Well, you're a big boy."

The attendees wanted the justice's opinion on everything from the "Defense of Marriage Act" to whether he has a favorite opera. (He doesn't.)

Here are some of the questions and excerpts of Scalia's answers:

Q: Have you ever noticed that positions of justices on a particular subject changes or becomes more liberal the longer they stay on the bench?

A: "It's demonstrably false. I've been there longer than anybody and I think I'm further from left than I was. … It is a common phenomenon."

Q: You are so persuasive and logical - why arent' you able to persuade your liberal colleagues?

A: "Most of these issues on which we disagree, it's fundamental stuff. … [People] think most of the time, we are contemplating our navels: 'should there be a right to die,' 'should there be legal abortion' - something that Joe Six-Pack knows the answer to as well as I do. … Most of the time we are doing real law: We're figuring out the meaning of the Bankruptcy Code, the Internal Revenue code. That is hard and really dull stuff."

Q: Evaluate the condition of the Catholic Church in the United States.

A: "I think it's doing OK. It's been around a long time, you know."

Q: Are you a Redskins fan?

A: "I'm not really much of a football fan. To the extent I am, I hate the Redskins. In fact, I always root for Dallas."

Q: How would you handle Syria?

A: "Naw. I shouldn't talk about that. I have strong views on it, though."

Q: What is the constitutional basis for the principal of 'stare decisis' (legal principal of judges respecting the precedent established by prior decisions) and does it play inherently to the socialist?

A: "It is impossible to run a judicial system without it. You can't reinvent the wheel with every case. … The constitution implicitly expects the courts to function in a manner that is not nuts."

Q: What is the greatest miscarriage of constitutional justice during your tenure?

A: "Oh, there are many candidates. … The most disreputable area of our law is the establishment clause. (Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.) … A violation of the establishment clause that does not affect someone's free exercise - there is no reason why you should have standing.

The library, in the Champion Forest area of northwest Houston, includes more than 80,000 volumes and the capacity for 120,000. The interior includes including books and artifacts covering linguistics, church history, Egyptology and the Dead Sea Scrolls and theology in general.

Lanier found fame and wealth by winning multimillion-dollar verdicts in asbestos and Vioxx trials. He is also known for his over-the-top Christmas parties featuring Sting or Miley Cyrus.